Shale Plays

Over the past few years, advances in technology have allowed us to discover and develop abundant supplies of natural gas within shale plays across the United States and Canada.

These discoveries have fundamentally transformed the long-term outlook for natural gas supplies - stabilizing the market, expanding our energy choices and transforming our nation into a global clean energy leader, rather than simply a large energy consumer.

According to Penn State University, the Marcellus Shale, which spans West Virginia, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Maryland may be the second largest natural gas field in the world.

The Barnett Shale covers at least 24 counties in North Texas. It is one of the most active shale plays in the U.S. and is estimated to contain as much as 26 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas.

Primarily in Louisiana and Texas, the Haynesville Shale could potentially contain as much as 251 Tcf of technically recoverable resources.

The Antrim Shale that covers much of Michigan and the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas are the latest examples of the still-emerging wealth of North American supplies of this clean energy resource.

How Much Do We Really Have?

The world's largest producer of this clean energy resource isn't Russia, Iran or Venezuela. It's the United States of America.

Pick your authority: The Department of Energy, the Potential Gas Committee, MIT - the list goes on. They all say the same thing: It is now the established scientific consensus that we have enough natural gas here in North America to power our economy for generations. In fact, already today, IHS Global Insight forecasts that the typical U.S. household will save $926 annually in disposable income from 2012 to 2015 thanks to cost savings that result from this new age of shale gas abundance. These savings are forecast to rise to nearly $2,000 by 2035.

Thanks to U.S. shale plays, these vast supplies of domestic natural gas mean that there is enough natural gas available at lower prices to power and heat our homes and businesses and run our vehicles for generations to come.